Tricky Visa Question.....

[LoveDaBlues]

My situation. I live in Thailand with TW (not official marriage). I am American.

NON-IMMIGRANT CATEGORY 'O' VISA - expires Sept. 30,2006

current entry stamp in Passport: admitted until Sept. 24, 2006

I recently turned 50 and want to apply for the retirement visa. I was told at the Thai immigration office in Udon Thani they could process my paperwork. For the financial requirement I DO NOT want to transfer 800,000 baht to my Thai bank; rather I want to show the 65,000 per month retirement income which I easily have. The problem: I need the 'Letter of Certification' confirming the monthly income which is only issued by the US Embassy in Bangkok. I do not want to travel to BKK from Udon Thani just to get this letter. From time to time the embassy does a 'visit' to Udon Thani. I have emailed the US Embassy and they told me they could issue the 'Letter of Certification' when they 'visit' this area. However, there is no set schedule so I don't know when they might come....and I'm running out of time.

Is the following an option? I go to Laos and get an 'extension' on my non-immigrant 'o' visa for a year. Is this done? If this is possible it would solve my problem because surely the US Embassy would 'visit' my area sometime in the next year and I could get the document I need then.

Thanks. LDB

[TerryLH]

You could fly from Udon to Chiang Mai and get your letter at the American Consulate there.

Use the trip as a mini-vacation.

Sorry, don't have experience re your kind of visa, but I would think you could get an extension in Nong Khai.

Good luck.

Terry

[lopburi3]

I assume you had a one year multi entry type visa so you could exit and return for another 90 day stay before September 24. No you can not obtain a one year extension from anyone but Thai Immigration and you will need to meet the retirement criteria there. Nor would the Consulate in Laos issue you a one year visa.

[LoveDaBlues]

Yes I have the multi-entry visa.

I should have been more specific in my question. Can I obtain an extension for one year from the Thai embassy in Laos? By that I mean a one year extension of the non-immigrant 'o' visa; not a retirement visa.

[lopburi3]

No you can not obtain a one year extension from anyone but Thai Immigration

As you do not have a marriage the only way you seem to have on the O visa to extend from Immigration would be retirement (although as said you would have to meet the requirements).

You will also not be able to obtain another multi entry non immigrant O visa from Vientiane.